Creamy Carbonara

Servings:

2 (220g pasta sauce)

Ready In:

30 minutes

Cal/Serv:

590 calories

Good For:

Meals

Rate This Recipe!

[Total: 1 Average: 5/5]

About This Recipe

By: Noriko Shindo

When I grew up in London, my family had this go-to Italian restaurant close to us. As a kid, I only ordered the Carbonara every single time. That’s how much I love it. 20 years down the road, as a plant-based eater, I have finally found the best balance of tastes for this plant-based version. Plus, it has Vitamin B12! You can combine it with our homemade pancetta (plant-based bacon), add vegan bacon, or if you’re not plant-based, add real pancetta. The choice is yours!

Ingredients

200-220g Spaghetti

65g Unsalted Cashew nuts

1/2 Avocado

80ml Soy or Almond Milk (Soy is better!)

2 cloves garlic

1 Tablespoons Lemon juice

1.5 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast

1 Teaspoon Salt (Reduce by half and add to taste if you are adding bacon/pancetta)

3 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Teaspoons Pepper

1/4 Teaspoons Paprika

(Optional) Add our homemade pancetta, or some form of bacon (vegan or not)

Nutrition

This recipe is an amazing source of Vitamin B12 and protein – both perceived as “hard to get” in a plant-based diet. If you are concerned of the fat and calories, you can either omit the olive oil or the avocado – it tastes the same, but reduces creaminess.

Step by Step Instructions

STEP 1

(If you are using our pancetta, we suggest you make it before Step 1, or if you are a pro, marinate the pancetta and warm the oven before starting this step here).

Boil around 200ml of water (about a teacup), and soak the cashews in the boiled water. Leave soaked for at least 15 min.

STEP 2

Blend until creamy.

STEP 3

Taste. Add salt if you want more salty, more lemon if you want more tangy, and olive oil if you want more creamy.

STEP 4

Cook pasta for half the recommended time, then without stopping the heat, take out half the amount of water (you do not need to save the discarded water). See photo for how much it comes to. There should still be enough water for the pasta to be submerged.

STEP 5

Empty the sauce from the blender to a frying pan, and add 3 tablespoons of the pasta water. Also add the pancetta/bacon to the pan at this point (if you are using it), and mix on low heat until the water has blended in to the sauce.

STEP 6

Drain the pasta and transfer to the frying pan. Toss until the sauce is evenly mixed with the pasta. Serve on a plate, and add extra black pepper!